Pickling-weight.



S. BUFFENBARGER.

PICKLING WEIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2I, 1914.

1,136,772, Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

SANFORD BUFFENBARGER, 0F TITUSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

PICKLINGr-WEIGI-II.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2Q, 1915.

Application filed. April 21, 1914. Serial No. 833,520.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SANFORD BUFFEN- BARGER, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Titusville, in the county of Crawford and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPicklingWeights; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to improvements in preserving apparatus, and moreparticularly as to do with weights for pickling various substances, suchas sauer-kraut and the like.

The main and primary object of the invention is to provide a weight ofthe character referred to the construction of which is such as to renderthe same impervious to the action of the brine, fruit juices, etc., inwhich the device may be immersed, and thus to prevent disintegrating orcrumbling because of the corrosion incidentto such immersion. This alsoprovides a weight which may be readily maintained in a sanitary condition both when in and out of use.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a weightof the character mentioned embodying in its construction simple andeflicient means for concentrating the mass weighted down by the devicein such relation to the under side of the weight as to preclude the massrising upwardly beyond the sides of the weight, thereby insuring theproper holding of the mass within the pickling agent.

Having these general objects in view, and others which will appear asthe nature of the improvements is better understood, the inventionconsists substantially in the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings-Figure l is a vertical transverse sectional view of apickling weight constructed in accordance with the present invention,and illustrating its use in conjunction with a pickling receptacle. Fig.2 is a side elevation of the weight removed from the container. Fig. 3is an inverted plan view thereof.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 10designates the body of the herein described weight. This is preferablycylindrical in horizontal cross section, as clearly seen in Fig. 3, andits vertical dimension is somewhat more than one half of its diameter,so that the body may be comparatively heavy, and thus capable of servingits purposes as a weight. The ma terial of which the body 10 is formedis preferably clay, so that it may be burned to the required degree ofhardness, and at the same time be provided with a vitreous surface torender the body impervious to the action of the pickling agent, or the,liquid in which the body may be immersed when the weight is in use.

At the upper end of the body 10 is formed a transversely-extendinghandle 11 to facilitate moving the body, and this is spaced a sutlicientdistance above the top of the body 10 to provide a clearance spacebetween the body and said handle, and at the same time to expose theupper end of the verticallyextending air passage 12 formed in the body10 and affording communication between the bottom and the top of saidbody. As illustrated in Fig. 3, this passage is at the center of thebody 10, and its lower end communicates with a concave pocket 18 formedat the under face or side of the body 10. This pocket 13 iscomparatively deep, and its purpose is to concentrate, at the bottom ofthe weight, the mass which is being pickled or preserved, and upon whichthe weight is seated in a pickling container, such as 14. By reason ofthis concentration of the material under treatment, the weight forcesthe same into the concave pocket 13, and this precludes the mass risingupwardly beyond the sides of the weight, so that the proper holding ofthe mass within the pickling agent is insured.

By the provision of the passage 12, it will be obvious that suction orcompression in raising or lowering the weight from or into the picklingcontainer is prevented, the passage 12 allowing the air to freelycirculate from the under side of the weight to the top thereof.

In using the hereindescribed device, the material to be pickled orpreserved, such as sauer kraut and the like, is placed within thecontainer 14;, and the proper pickling agent, such as brine, introducedthereto. The weight is then placed upon the mass, the latter enteringthe concave pocket 13, and the air escaping through passage 12, and whenso positioned the weight effectually holds the mass to be pickledbeneath the surface of the pickling agent. a To remove the weight, it issimply necessary to grasp the handle 11, and to exert upward pressurethereon, and by reason of the passage 12, it is evident no suction willbe created beneath the underside of the weight.

Because of the formation of the weight ofa vitrified substance, the sameis impervious to the disintegrating action of the pickling agent, or thefruit juices, it being obvious that the weight may be used with berriesand the like for expressing the juices therefrom, the vitreous characterof the body caved face and the atmosphere.

2. A pickling weight, comprising a vitreous body having a concaved facefor contact with the material to be pickled, the con- 7 cavity of saidface concentrating the material toward the center of the body, and avent passage extending from said face to the exposed portion of thebody.

3. A pickling weight, comprising a body,

material to be pickled, whereby the latter is concentratedtowardthe'center of the body and means for venting the recess in said face;

4. A pickling weight, comprising a body, and a handle associatedtherewith, the under face of said body having an inwardly-extendingpocket for concentratingthe mass weighted down by the device insuch'relation to the under side of the device as to preclude the massrising upwardly beyond the sides of the weight, said body havingfan airpassage extending therethrough and in communication with said pocket. j

5. A pickling weight, comprisinga body, and a handle associatedtherewith, the under side of said body-having a concave pocket formedtherein, whereby to concentrate the mass weighted down by the device insuch relation to the under side of the device'as to preclude the massrising upwardly beyond the sides of the weight, said body being alsoprovided with a vertically-extending air passage in communication withsaid concave pocket to permit circulation of the air to and from thepocket.

In testimony whereof I affix my' signature, in the presence of twoWitnesses.

SANFORD BUFFENBA-RGER. Witnesses:

R0131. A. KERR, HELEN DARRAH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe commissionr'of Patents, Washington, I). 0'.

